


Green Eyes on the Prize (Whatever That May Mean)

by MaleficentorMagnificent (NattheBattz)



Category: The Good Doctor - Fandom
Genre: Canon Divergent, F/F, Post 3x16, Team Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 03:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23004970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NattheBattz/pseuds/MaleficentorMagnificent
Summary: Morgan sees Claire and Neil running together, and can’t shake off the uneasy feeling it gives her.This is how she handles it.
Relationships: Claire Browne/Morgan Reznick, Morgan Reznick/Claire Browne
Comments: 7
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There’s nothing really romantic about any of the relationships in this fic, YET, I really want to continue this, but I figured I’d see if you guys felt the same way? It wouldn’t be much longer than this, maybe 2 or 3 more chapters, but here’s the start!  
> Chapter one takes place during 3x14.  
> As it stands,,, nothing is really worked out and it’s maybe a little angsty for us Breznick shippers. (Which is why I want to continue it, lol, but I also have work in 30 mins).  
> That being said, my proofreading is probably shit rn, so I apologize for the errors you will undoubtedly find!

Morgan had been so very patient with Claire, really she had. 

She grinds her teeth as she thinks of the hours she has invested in their tentative relationship while Claire was going through the worst of her grieving. The elevator dings, the doors sliding open to show three people— a fellow doctor, and a pair of teenage boys— waiting to board the elevator. The other doctor nods at Morgan in acknowledgment, offering her a polite smile as well. Morgan flashes her one in return as she exits the elevator, but it drops off her face in her next step. Moody or not, she’s not going to needlessly be rude to potential future allies. Not that she even knows who that other doctor is, or what department she works in, but it’s the principle of the matter. She’s got more pressing issues to attend to as it is. 

She flexes her hands as her pain flares a bit, while also trying to calm her frantic thoughts. She really doesn’t have the time to do this, but the tight feeling that had coiled in her gut upon seeing Melendez touching Claire with them both laughing and smiling for anyone and everyone to see, dictates that she make the time. Her thoughts drift to her upcoming surgery with Kayley as she mentally rehearses her procedure while scanning the occupants of the cafeteria. 

She’s looking for a specific pain-in-her-ass-resident, and sighs to herself when she sees him, his back to her with a stiff hunch over his meal. She walks up to his table already speaking before she’s properly sitting down, “So, you’re working on the same case with Browne and Melendez?” Morgan asks, making sure her tone lands just on the other side of needling, wanting to see if her words affect the older man. She has to fight a smirk as he visibly itenses. He quickly rolls his eyes, and if Morgan wasn’t watching him so closely, she might’ve mistaken the gesture for a glance. 

“Yeah, what about it?” Alex asks, the right corner of his mouth twitching toward a frown as the words pass his lips. 

“How is that?” Morgan asks with an arch of her brow. Normally she’d try for a more drawn out, tactful approach, but fuck she just does not have the time for this today. Yet, she can’t imagine going into surgery knowing that the source of her current ire hasn’t been dealt with, and she can’t afford any distractions with so much publicity at stake. Alex arches a brow at her this time. 

“What do you mean?” He prods, refusing to be the first to give ground in whatever standoff Morgan’s initiated. Morgan huffs as she flexes her hands under the table once more. 

“Exactly what I asked, Park. How is it working with Neil and Claire? I had to see your name on the board to know you were even on the case.” Morgan says it like it’s a toss away comment, but really it’s the seed to her plan. She doesn’t have time for this issue sure, but she does have time to nudge someone into doing it for her. Plus, this way, right or wrong, she won’t risk tarnishing her name with either doctor she saw running this morning. Alex just needs to do his part and listen to her, then it’s up to him.

Her words thankfully seem to strike a nerve making him straighten up in his seat, his food forgotten as he takes a deep breath that makes his nostrils flare. 

“So, you know Melendez on a first name basis too, huh?” Park asks, a jaded edge to his tone. Morgan forces herself not to visibly perk up at it. (She also has to fight the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose hearing that Claire is apparently on a first name basis with their boss). 

“Oh, no, of course not. However, I do know Claire on a first name basis, and I’d personally find it sexist to refer to Claire by her first name but Neil by his last name in the same instance.” Morgan explains tacitly. Alex leans back in his chair, pressing his hands against his knees as he processes her words. 

“So, it’s Claire everyone knows personally.” Alex grumbles mostly to himself, but it’s enough to confirm that Morgan needs to do this. This is the beauty of her plan; ultimately the decision is up to Alex. Morgan can admit that while she had been upset at seeing the two doctors running together, that it very well could have been innocent. She hasn’t been around them in the workplace enough to make the call herself without worrying that she’d be making Claire’s life harder for no reason. However, if Alex has noticed a shift in their relationship, she trusts his judgement to act accordingly.

Morgan steels herself for what she’s going to say next, hating that she can’t just be honest with the man across from her. She can’t risk her name coming up in connection with the complaint, lest she risk alienating herself from Claire. Not that the other woman won’t just assume the complaint came from Morgan anyway, but she can’t cover all these bases by herself with her surgery looming ever closer. 

“Well, I have to get going, and you’re not giving me very much in terms of conversation. Have fun riding the coattails on this one, Park; I’ve got a surgery to lead.” Morgan says with an overly friendly smile as she rises from her seat that Park notices, but makes no comment on as his lips pull down into a full blown frown at her words. 

She’s pretty sure he’ll do what needs to be done after this. While they’re all suffering due to Melendez favoring Claire; she’s actually managing to avoid the brunt of that by working with Shaun, Andrews, and Lim so often. That being said, Morgan isn’t trying to be the all-star of the B-Team, and that’s truly how she feels lately. She almost feels bad for Alex, being stuck at the forefront of the issue, but she’s got enough adversity of her own to worry about his struggle too. 

She’s heading back to the board room to continue reading and planning when the idea comes to her. While she trusts Alex to file the complaint, maybe filing one of her own wouldn’t hurt. It would only add legitimacy to the complaints, and would practically force Lim to look into the issue. (Plus, if Alex chooses not to file a formal complaint, this way, Morgan can make sure that something’s said about what she saw this morning). The sick churning feeling in her stomach that she’s refusing to label as jealousy just yet settles into a reassuring swirl that almost has her smirking to herself. Yeah, she’ll wait for Alex to go play his part, then knock this surgery out of the fucking park, and after her shift, she’ll file her own complaint. Morgan’s nerves settle as she feels the weight of her solid plans settle over her shoulders, knowing that she’s going to make all the right calls and decisions today.


	2. 3x15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Watching Claire and Neil embarrass themselves in front of Andrews is almost enough for Morgan to think she might have made a mistake in filing her complaint.

Watching Claire and Neil embarrass themselves in front of Andrews is almost enough for Morgan to think she might have made a mistake in filing her complaint. She knew the dynamic would change, since it was inappropriate to begin with, but she hadn’t imagined Melendez would start treating his old pet like shit just to prove a point. 

She glances at Andrews and feels relief at seeing his incredulous expression; he couldn’t believe their behaviors either. Morgan frowns at the realization as she gets a sinking feeling in the back of her head that she can’t quite shake off as nothing. Typically, if something is too outlandish to believe, that’s because it is her inner voice reminds her. She looks at them closer and realizes that their reactions aren’t genuine. In the face of losing her pedestal position with Melendez, Claire wouldn’t be angry like she is right now; she’d bite her lip, feeling reprimanded and mope for the remainder of the time they’d interact. And Melendez wouldn’t be on the offensive either, however, before she can analyze them further, Andrews decides he’s seen enough and diffuses the situation. 

She catches the small victorious smirk on Melendez’s face as he turns away from Claire, and she can’t help but wonder what he feels like he’s won.   
The pressing weight on the back of her neck will not let her shake the feeling that she’s being had, and she hates that she can’t pinpoint why. But she’ll be damned if she lets this rest without figuring it out. 

***

“Did you really file a favoritism complaint against Melendez?” Morgan asks Park as soon as he exits the locker room, causing him to start slightly, not having been expecting anyone to be waiting to ambush him. He arches an eyebrow in disbelief before chuckling and shaking his head as he steps around the shorter doctor. He hears her fall into step behind him and he internally groans at not being able to just go home after the day he’s had. 

“So, what if I did? I thought that’s what you wanted, based on our little chat in the cafeteria.” He challenges, rounding on her after pressing the call button for the elevator. Morgan meets his gaze, glancing over his shoulder to see how long she has to convince him before the doors behind him open, she frowns, noting it’s only three floors above them now. 

“I wanted to know if I should have filed one of my own.” Morgan replies cooly. 

“So, you did file a complaint? Claire suspected you.” He says like it’s news as the doors to the elevator open, and Morgan can’t help but wonder why it’s never empty when she calls for it. She follows him on, ignoring his quiet disgruntled sigh. 

“And you told her you were the one who did it.” Morgan replies elusively as she presses the ground-floor button. 

“Because I did.” He answers with a shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t know why you complained, but you were right about being on the same case as them together. It was like... I wasn’t even there, and anytime I disagreed with something Claire said, Melendez would take her side. Even in instances when sides didn’t matter, and it was just opinion based, Claire was right.” Alex confesses with a heavy sigh. 

The red flags are back, and Morgan’s mind is whispering to her that she’s not a complete fool for the next words about to come out of her mouth. 

“I don’t think we’re wrong, and I’m willing to go out on a limb to prove it if you are.” Morgan offers, her pulse starting to race a bit as they near the ground floor, hoping her timing isn’t off. 

“What do you mean?” Park asks warily. 

“Just come for a walk with me. The less you know about the set up, the better, but I will explain my side of things on the way.” Morgan answers cryptically, not waiting for Alex’s response before stepping out of the elevator. She scans the stairs and finds Claire descending them just as she thought she would, and luckily the other doctor is too preoccupied with her phone to notice Morgan. Alex, undistracted, follows Morgan’s gaze and rolls his eyes upon seeing Claire. 

“This is bordering on stalking, you know?” Alex asks with only a slightly teasing tone. Morgan’s entire demeanor changes as she visibly tenses and turns on him. 

“No, it’s not even fucking close. This, this is professional reconnaissance which is only being made necessary, because of unprofessional behaviors. Stalking is something else entirely, and someone who was in law enforcement should know better than to throw that accusation around.” Morgan snaps in response, a legitimate anger radiating from her eyes in a display of emotion that genuinely shocks Alex. He’s not used to seeing her so expressive, and wonders what wound he poked by mistake. He always did know how to put his foot in his mouth, and he wants to apologize but thinks that might make Morgan feel worse so he settles on nodding. 

“You’re right, my bad. Where’s this walk to?” He asks, still not sold on following their coworker, but apologetic enough to humor the idea at least; he’ll hear Morgan out. She huffs as she turns to make sure Claire hasn’t left yet, and she’s on the last flight of stairs and then she’ll be out the doors in a matter of moments. 

“I don’t actually know yet.” Morgan admits as she zips up her jacket to brace for the chilly night air. Alex falls into step next to her, and she takes that as a good sign.   
“What do you mean? Morgan, you can’t really plan on following Claire right now? What if she’s just going to her... car... in the other direction from the parking lot...?” Alex trails off questioningly as Claire’s path down the side walk proves his theory wrong. He looks back to the blonde woman standing next to him. 

“Come on, I’ll explain on the way, remember?” Morgan prompts as she starts following the other doctor, not wanting to let her get too far away, lest she lose sight of her. She vaguely hears Alex mumble something that sounds a lot like “ridiculous” before seeing him join her side from the corner of her eye. Morgan takes a deep breath before beginning her story. 

“So, I thought there might be an issue when I saw them running together before work. They weren’t just running though, they were playing with each other and racing. Which, fine, whatever, could be professional, right? What do I know? But then you filed a complaint too, so maybe I do know something. Maybe I did see something that wasn’t just platonic, so I filed my own complaint as well.” Morgan’s eyes are practically glued to Claire’s back and Alex’s warning about the curb is the only reason Morgan doesn’t roll an ankle stepping off the sidewalk. They cross the street, and Morgan wonders where they’re all heading.   
“Fast forward to today; Claire and Melendez got in a ridiculous argument in front of Andrews and me this morning. Which, isn’t too unbelievable given us throwing their dynamic off, but there was something... off about the fight. Sure, they were fighting with each other, but they weren’t fighting _like_ themselves. Melendez doesn’t argue with us, he shuts us down, and Claire doesn’t get angry like she did, she gets sad when no one listens to her.” Morgan explains, her own thoughts going back to analyzing those events, trying to see anything she could have missed. 

“They fought weirdly? We’ve all been bickering over this for the past few days, Morgan. I’m going to need a little more than that to keep this up.” Alex warns as his steps begin to falter. 

“Don’t bail on me yet, look.” Morgan says as Claire turns and finally enters a building, that upon further inspection turns out to be a bowling alley. 

“So, she’s going bowling?” Alex asks with a teasing tone to his voice, and Morgan wants to growl at the fact that he’s not taking this more seriously. That familiar churning in her stomach is returning and Morgan finds it ominous, though she keeps it to herself. 

“Who the fuck goes bowling alone after work, Park?” Morgan asks as she continues toward the business. Alex opens his mouth to refute her question, but closes it upon realizing it’s a valid point. “Melendez told Andrews he’d be in his office late tonight, but actually left about twenty minutes after that. The only other odd thing about that, is that his car is still in the parking lot too, meaning—“ 

“He walked somewhere.” Alex finishes darkly as his eyebrows furrow. Morgan clicks her tongue. 

“Good to see those detective skills haven’t left you entirely.” Morgan chides as she holds the door open for her travel and sleuthing companion. 

The lighting on the inside of the building is surprisingly dim past the entrance hall, so it takes a moment to spot Claire’s familiar profile. It takes no time after that however, to spot Neil’s familiar frame. 

She didn’t know what to expect from following Claire tonight. Obviously, she had thought she’d catch them together, but she wasn’t actually prepared for it. Seeing them running together had been different from this. If her stomach was churning with jealousy earlier, it is absolutely sloshing now, threatening to make her ill if she doesn’t do something immediately. Alex beats her to the punch however as she’s suddenly looking at his back as he steps around her to make his way over to them. She reacts and is on his heels in the next moment, eyes never leaving the woman they’d followed here. Her steps falter at the first words she overhears though, in the smooth timbers of Neil’s voice, “Morgan buy the fight?” Alex stops in his tracks as well, turning around to catch her eyes. They’re echoing back what her mind’s shouting at her right now, _you were right,_ and she has to squeeze her eyes shut against the sound of Claire’s answering sigh. Morgan can’t explain why her eyes suddenly burn like she wants to cry, but that coupled with the storm raging in her stomach is making it hard not to just turn around and leave. 

“Is it weird how hard we have to work to hide a platonic friendship?” She asks, taking her rental shoes from Neil’s outstretched hand. 

“Very. But it’s worth it.” He replies, turning around to set up their scoreboard. 

“Yes, very weird how my platonic friendship with Alex here doesn’t need to be hidden at all, almost like it’s a real platonic friendship with nothing to be ashamed of.” Morgan says, her stomach rolling comfortably at the caught-red-handed expressions on both the other doctor’s faces. 

“Dr. Park, Dr. Reznick, nice to see you out and about.” Neil tries greeting them, just further highlighting the blurred lines of their titles and relationships to each other. 

“I’m pretty sure I just heard you call me Morgan, right? Come on, we’re all colleagues here, isn’t that right? Isn’t that the point?” Morgan asks, her anger starting to bubble just beneath the surface, leaks into her tone. 

“I am a little confused myself, I must admit. This isn’t how I’d handle a favoritism complaint, if I’m supposed to go to you personally before taking it higher up, I just thought you should know.” Alex says, and Morgan can’t tell if it’s a challenge or a threat, but really she doesn’t care. She doesn’t care about this anymore, if her boss wants to fuck her colleague, then that’s just one more obstacle to hurdle on her way to becoming Chief Resident... she’d just give almost anything for her boss to want to fuck any other colleague than the one she maybe kind of wouldn’t mind sleeping with also. And isn’t that what stings the most? Not that Melendez has been here waiting for Claire to show up, not really, but the fact that she did in fact show up. Morgan had called herself superficial and selfish and even apologized to Claire for ratting her and Melendez out to Lim, and all of that was done so Claire could throw it back in her face while she and Neil had a good laugh about it. 

“This isn’t—“ Neil starts, but cuts himself off before he can finish the statement. Morgan rolls her eyes and Alex scoffs. 

“What it looks like, right? That’s rich.” Alex mocks, and Morgan briefly notes that she’s never seen him so angry. 

“Alex, Morgan, please, we’re just friends, I swear.” Claire says, and Morgan wants to believe her with every fiber of her being right now, but she just can’t. She can’t trust anything Claire says to her, because she _lied_ to her, she and Neil fucking _performed_ for her to pull the wool over her eyes. 

“The complaint wasn’t that you two are fucking; it was that Neil obviously has a favorite. I fail to see how this is anything other than confirmation?” Morgan retorts, inviting either of them to argue with her point. They look to each other, and Morgan wants to be sick or done with this right now. 

“That’s what we thought. Let’s go Morgan, I suddenly feel as though I’ve seen enough strikes for one night.” Alex seethes, and Morgan wants to smirk at the cheesy-cop-one-liner, but it’s so fitting she can’t find it funny just yet. With one more glance at the pair of scolded doctors, she follows Park out. The cool night air is a welcome relief to Morgan’s lungs, and it’s all she can do to not literally gulp it in in an attempt to calm her racing and throbbing heart. If Alex hadn’t come with her, she’s sure she would have crumpled into a crying mess right then and there. But his anger is enough to carry her at the moment, his eyes are wild and he looks like he wants to grab her and drag her away from this place faster than she’s currently walking, but he thankfully keeps his hands to himself as he broods. 

They’re half a block away when they hear Claire’s voice ringing out behind them. Morgan speeds up her pace and Alex matches her, both doctors apparently content with ignoring their names being called. Hearing Claire’s jogging footsteps coming up behind her is more frightening than she’d like to admit, and it gives her too much anxiety to not turn around and double check that it is in fact Claire running up behind them. 

“Morgan! Alex, wait please!” Claire begs as she catches up to them. Alex keeps walking, but Morgan can’t keep ignoring the other doctor and stops to hear her out. “Just let me explain, please.” Claire needlessly says, as if Morgan isn’t mentally begging Claire to have a valid reason behind this. “We’re just friends, there’s nothing inherently wrong about that, and it’s ridiculous that you two are blowing this so out of proportion.” Claire says with an incredulous expression, and Morgan can’t stop her surprised laugh from escaping her lips. 

“‘Out of proportion’?” Alex asks, causing Morgan to jump, not realizing that he’d turned around and was standing so closely behind her. “That is so rich coming from you. As if you didn’t take the complaint personally from the moment Neil brought it up to us. Claire, there wasn’t even a debate that it was _you_ receiving special treatment, and you couldn’t even focus on our patient you were so upset that Morgan would file a complaint.” Alex seethes, and Morgan frowns at the woman across from her. She’d known this of course, but seeing her not even try to deny it hurt more than the basic knowledge. “And when I told you it was me, what did you do? You badgered me about it all day, and you couldn’t handle being in the backseat for one for day, while we’ve all been there for weeks now.” Alex says, his expression dark, and Morgan wonders what he experienced working with the other two doctors to make him so upset now. 

“Neil’s only been helping me deal with things since my mother died, that’s all it is.” Claire replies weakly, her own eyes seeming unsure. Morgan’s anger flares so suddenly she’s shaking with it. 

“I’m so glad he could be there for you during your time of need, if only anyone else had tried, right?” Morgan asks, her voice dripping with so much malice she almost doesn’t recognize it as her own. Claire’s brows furrow as she meets her eyes, but she quickly averts her gaze to the ground. They both know how hard Morgan had tried to be there for her during that time, and for Claire to make Neil sound like her personal savior is just too much for the blonde. 

“You could’ve invited us.” Alex says, his voice calmer as he worriedly glances at Morgan. He needs to get her out of here before she snaps, and he doesn’t know how much longer she’ll be able to hold herself together based on her demeanor. “We could’ve all gone bowling together and laughed at the idea that we felt like Neil has a favorite. But you two conspired together to exclude us once again, and if you can’t see the problem we have with that, then that’s on you. Morgan, you ready?” Alex asks, lessening the intensity of his voice when he addresses Morgan. She nods her head jerkily, and turns around to take a step away, but stops and turns around once more. Alex worries she’s about to do something she regrets, but she only opens her mouth to speak once more. 

“Maybe we are overreacting,” Morgan starts and shakes her head at Alex’s shocked expression as she continues, “I mean, after all, he did let you come out here to deal with us on your own.” Morgan says icily, noting that their boss is nowhere to be seen. She briefly wonders if he’s waiting inside for Claire to return, or if he had just left unnoticed while they continued to argue. The rest of Claire’s fight visibly leaves her at the words, and Morgan can’t help the victorious smirk that crosses her lips. Claire might have hurt her feelings tonight, but no way in hell was she going to advertise it more than she already has. Relishing in the pain that’s radiating from the other woman’s face is easier than acknowledging the pain throbbing in her chest in time with her pulse. 

“‘How are we supposed to trust her,’ remember that? Well, I do, and I can say that right now, I’d trust Morgan over you.” Alex says, and Morgan doesn’t really know what it means, but she feels like it’s another reference to Claire demeaning her to Park. And it sounds like he just took her side in whatever this shit show has turned into. She and Alex turn away together like they planed it, and despite Claire needing to head in the same direction toward her car, Morgan can hear that she doesn’t follow them. 

“Are you really dumb enough to trust me, Park?” Morgan asks after a time, breaking the weird silence they’ve been walking in. He sighs heavily. 

“I don’t know, maybe that was a tad bit generous. However, I haven’t caught you lying to me yet, so my point stands.” He replies diplomatically, and Morgan finds herself grinning despite her mood. 

“So, what now?” She asks, replaying everything that just happened in her head. Alex sighs even heavier this time, as if Morgan though that was possible. 

“I really don’t know. I told Lim about how Melendez told us to take complaints to him directly in the future, and he ended up benching Claire and me... I don’t want to get mixed up in all this political bullshit, I just want to learn and be taught while I’m in my residency.” He mumbles, for once looking older and tired, reminding Morgan once more that Alex hasn’t always wanted to be a surgeon like herself. 

“We’ll figure it out tomorrow then. And Alex?” She prompts, causing him to pause in his departure toward his truck. She waits for his gaze to meet hers before continuing, “Thank you, for coming with me.” She says with a small nod. 

“Thank you for considering this something I should know about too.” Alex replies with a dismissive shrug. Morgan nods once more, and turns away from him. 

She makes it all the way to her car before the tears start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry our girls are just fighting right now, the writers are KILLING me :)))))

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t seen the new episode yet (3x17), so I can’t discuss it yet, but let me know what you are thinking/feeling about this work :)  
> 


End file.
